All Things Product with Teresa and Petra

In this episode of All Things Product, Petra Wille and Teresa Torres dig into their end-of-year reflection practices — the ones they've refined over decades of product work, personal growth, and plenty of nerdy experimentation. They compare how their processes started, how they’ve evolved, and why both of them have moved away from rigid annual goal-setting in favor of something more flexible, values-driven, and joyful. From “what went well” lists to 100-wish exercises to decade-level themes, they share practical ways to close out a year with clarity and set up the next one with intention. If you’re looking for inspiration to design your own reflection ritual — or you’re simply curious how two product veterans think about continuous improvement in their personal and professional lives — this one’s worth a listen. We’d love to hear how you approach end-of-year reflection. What habits or questions help you close out the year and set up the next one? Share your process with us.

In this conversation, Teresa Torres and Petra Wille unpack a pattern they’re seeing again and again in product transformations: teams get trained in continuous discovery, but nothing sticks because leaders haven’t changed how they work. They dig into why “train your leaders first” isn’t just a catchy mantra — it’s a prerequisite for shifting from projects to true product thinking. They share concrete examples from interview training gone sideways, the hidden organizational dynamics that stall discovery habits, the role product leadership actually plays (and why most orgs underestimate it), and the empathy we all need for leaders who are learning this way of working for the first time. If your teams are struggling to adopt discovery, or if your transformation feels stuck, this episode will give you a clearer picture of where the real blockers live — and what leaders can do differently to unlock meaningful change.

In this episode, Petra and Teresa revisit a topic they once strongly pushed back on: using AI to analyze (and maybe even synthesize) customer interviews. Six months and several experiments later, Teresa’s perspective has evolved — and the conversation opens up a nuanced look at where AI can genuinely help and where it can quietly erode your team’s customer understanding. They dig into recent studies on how AI affects junior vs. expert performance at work, the difference between analysis and synthesis, and why your unpolished interview skills matter more than any shiny new AI workflow. Along the way, they share personal stories (including an unexpected gaming-PC detour) that illustrate how expertise shapes the usefulness of AI tools. This is a candid, practical conversation for product teams wrestling with the real-world tradeoffs of integrating AI into continuous discovery.

In this episode of All Things Product, Teresa Torres and Petra Wille explore how product people can intentionally design their own communities of practice—and why it matters for long-term learning and growth. Teresa shares her introvert-friendly approach to continuous learning: curating a personal learning network (PLN) filled with people she wants to learn from. Petra contrasts that with her more collaborative style of learning with others through small peer groups, hackathons, and local meetups. Together, they unpack how each approach supports curiosity-driven development, how to find your “definition of good” when starting something new, and the habits that make learning a deliberate practice. Whether you’re an independent product coach or part of a product org shifting toward continuous discovery, this episode will help you rethink how you learn—and who you learn with.

In this heartfelt episode of All Things Product, Petra Wille and Teresa Torres talk about something we all experience but rarely discuss openly — setbacks. Teresa shares a deeply personal story about her long recovery from an injury and how it unexpectedly mirrors the ups and downs of product work. Together, they explore what it means to face professional setbacks — when your product fails to move a single KPI, when a launch falls flat, or when you just feel stuck — and how teams can respond with curiosity, emotional honesty, and resilience. Whether you’re a PM, designer, or researcher, this episode is a reminder that recovery and reflection are just as important as velocity and success.